Various different types of floor-treating machines are known to the art, these machines being adapted to the floor-treatment function concerned, i.e. floor-washing, floor-polishing or floor rubbing-down functions.
It is known to dimension the machines to suit different working conditions, such as the conditions of smaller office premises, large office premises, warehouses, stores, etc., and consequently such machines are retailed in various sizes ranging from large, driven machines to hand-maneouvred small machines.
It is also known to operate larger machines with the aid of robotic devices and also to remotely control these machines.
the present invention relates to a smaller manually operated floor-treatment machine held by a walking operator, and is concerned essentially with machines of similar construction to smaller floor polishing machines.
Small polishing machines which are guided manually for movement over the floor surface by a walking operator are known to the art. Such machines comprise a handle which is operative to guide the machine for movement over the floor surface, a pair of wheels co-acting with the lower part of the handle and operative to move the machine along the floor, and a polishing brush which is mounted at a distance from the lower part of the handle and which rotates about a vertical axis.
In the case of machines of this kind, the wheel-pair is used solely to move the machine from one polished floor surface to a floor surface to be polished, while the actual polishing function is effected solely by rotating the polishing brush against the floor surface with the wheel-pair spaced vertically therefrom.
When using such a machine, polishing is effected by applying a lateral force to the handle and permitting the electrically-driven brush to swing forwards and backwards, normally in a semi-circular movement, through an angle of about 90.degree..
The polishing brush, which rotates about a vertical axis, will normally have a relatively hard, nylon surface of the type "Scotch Brite" and the brush will work the floor surface at full machine pressure, e.g. a pressure of 37-75 kg.
In the case of known devices for controlling or manoeuvring machines and assemblies of the aforedescribed kind, the lower part of a column or a U-shaped handle structure is connected to the machine by means of a horizontal pivot shaft, such that the manoeuvring device is able to swing up and down about a horizontal pivot axis extending transversely to the normal movement-direction of the unit. The upper part of said column is configured as a handle.